MEGHAN’S SECRET ESCAPE... with baby Archie!
As palace dramas reach an all-time high, Harry fears his wife is plotting to do a royal runner
After helplessly watching his wife endure months of scrutiny, relentless criticism and even bullying from within the confines of the palace walls, Prince Harry is haunted by the thought that Meghan is secretly plotting her escape from the royal family.
According to well-placed palace insiders, the duchess is so exhausted from the onslaught of criticism and worrying about what everyone thinks of her, that she’s nearing breaking point.
“Harry’s agonising over the impact it’s had on Meghan and concerned it’s all too much,” one royal source tells. “He’s petrified she’s plotting to leave him and flee back to America.
LIFE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
“While his close friends are trying to reassure him and tell him he’s being paranoid, he can’t help but wonder what drastic actions she’s scheming while giving baby Archie his late-night feeds, during which, she also spends a lot of time having hushed conversations with her mum Doria [Ragland] back in LA.”
Unfortunately for the 34-yearold loving husband and new dad, he’s convinced himself Meghan is going to leave him. Perhaps worst of all, he blames himself for Meghan’s misery.
“Harry swore that when he did marry, they wouldn’t have to deal with the pressures of royalty that he’s grown up with,” reveals our source.
“Meghan, being an actress, insisted she would be able to cope with life in the spotlight and convinced him to let her handle it. He now sees that no matter how talented an actress she was in Hollywood, nothing could’ve prepared her for the intricacies of life as a duchess, and he blames himself for not stepping in to help sooner.”
Allies close to Meghan – who last week quietly helped her celebrate her 38th birthday – say she was devastated when she was slammed for not holding her baby boy “correctly”.
“She can deal with critics over her fashion choices and the usual scuttlebutt coming out of the staff quarters, but when she’s under attack for simply being a new mum, the line’s crossed,” says our source. “Meghan’s always been a staunch feminist, and is flabbergasted she’s not getting any support from the palace, and instead is expected to put up and shut up.”
In fact, the only time Meghan has truly felt it was her time to shine was returning to the red carpet among fellow actors for the London premiere of The Lion King, where she confessed to singer Pharrell that she was struggling with being royal, saying, “They don’t make it easy.”
“Harry took that as a cry for help,” a royal aide tells Woman’s Day. “But he didn’t expect her to publicly complain about the life he’s pathed for her and their little family. Now he fears she was crying for help all along and he’s been oblivious.”
Insiders reveal Harry’s torturing himself with worry over what Meghan’s escape plan could be but he’s too afraid to ask, in case his suspicions are correct.
RUN AWAY & DISAPPEAR
“He’s convinced she’s going to run away back to LA, to her best friends in New York, or even to Toronto, where she was happier than she’s ever been,” adds our insider. “But Harry’s biggest fear is that she’s so intimidated and uneasy with royal life that she’d take Archie and flee somewhere far away, where no one can reach her. She’s showed a huge amount of enthusiasm for their potential move to Africa, and Harry’s wondering whether she’ll go anyway, even if an official relocation is taken off the table.
“Harry’s at his wits’ end and now that he’s gone back to work after paternity leave, word is over the last couple of days he’s asked his household staff to keep an extra close eye on Meghan, and alert him immediately if they see any signs of her being distressed.
“Harry’s a devoted husband and would never dream of trying to keep Meghan in England if she wasn’t happy, but he wants at least a little warning and insight into how his wife is really feeling.”